Holder for identification-slips.



No. 774,754. PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904.

I. 0. HICKS. HOLDER FOR IDENTIFICATION SLIPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 1. 1904. N0 MODEL.

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L nesses fivewtwfi M UNITED STATES Patented November 15,1904.

PATENT OEEIQE.

HOLDER FOR IDENTIFICATION-SLIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,754, dated November 15, 1904.

Application filed March 1, 1904. Serial No. 196,064. (No model.)

1'0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK O. HICKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clinton, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holders for Identification- Slips, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide a holder of simple, durable, and. inexpensive construction, especially designed for use by railway conductors in detachably holding identification-slips and providing a hand-rest conveniently arranged for use to support the operators hand when writing upon the identification-slips, and also to provide a holder that may be readily and quickly inserted in the operators pocket.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device Whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a central longitudinal sectional view of the holder. Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the holder With a number of identification-slips contained therein and having one side of the holder removed, and Fig. 3 shows a top or plan view of the complete holder.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the referencenumeral to indicate the back of the holder. This is preferably made of sheet metal and is smooth. and flat. The side edge portions 11 are bent upwardly at right angles to the'back. The upper end portion 12 is bent upwardly at right angles to the back, and the adjacent edges of the upper end and side portions are soldered together. The lower end portion'of the back is inclined upwardly and inwardly at 13 at an acute angle and then downwardly at 14 with its edge in engagement with the back 10. The lower end of the part 14 is soldered to the back 10, and the end edges of the part lt are soldered to the adjacent portions of the sides 11, thus firmly bracing all of said parts and forming a rectangular open-topped receptacle for the identification-slips.

I have provided means for yieldingly and detachably holding identification-slips in the holder, as follows: The numeral 15 indicates a spring-wire extended transversely of the holder near the top 12. At the ends of the part 15 the end portions of the wire are ex- The part 18 is yieldingly held toward the base 10.

The identification-slips are of the kind in common use by railway-conductors and comprise thin sheets of paper. (Indicated in Fig. 2 by the numeral 21.)

In practical use and assuming that it is desired to place anumber of identification-slips in the holder I first elevate the wire 15 and insert the upper ends of the slips under said wire and in the holder. I then elevate the wire 18 and insert the lower ends of the slips under it. In this way a yielding cross-piece is provided in engagement with both ends of the slips, yieldingly holding the slips against the back 10. In use the operator may readily write upon the slips, because they are held flat upon a firm back and because the operator may use the inclined end 13 as a rest for his hand-when writing. This is of particular importance in connection with a device of this kind, for the reason that the use of the identification-slips requires that passengers write their signatures upon the identificationeslips, and this is often done when on board a moving train, so that without a hand-rest it often occurs that the signature is so poorly written 1 that it cannot be identified as the handwriting of the same person when written under more favorable conditions. When the upper identification-slip is filled out, it may be quickly removed by the operator placing his thumb and forefinger upon the top of the slip and moving said fingers together, thus Withdrawing both ends of the slip from under the Wires 15 and 18 and removing the slip by doubling it up at its central portion. The inclined end 13 serves another very useful function in this connection in that by providing a tapered lower end for the holder the holder may be readily thrust into the operators pocket.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is

A holder for indentification-slips comprising a sheet-metal back, integral top and side portions, an integral loWer end portion inclined upwardly at an acute angle relative to the back, and then inwardly to a point in engagement With the back, a spring-Wire having its end portions secured to the back near one end, its sides extended parallel with the sides of the holder, and its central portion across the opposite end of the holder and a second spring-Wire having its ends secured to the back near the end of the holder opposite from the point of attachment of the first Wire, its sides parallel With the sides of the holder and its central portion extended across the holder, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

FRANK O. HICKS.

Witnesses:

' S. F. CI-IRIsTY,

J. B. SMUTNEY. 

